Sexual Health

Sex Life. Find daily tips for a healthy sex life for both men and women from Dr. David Samadi. Discover the health benefits of sex and what causes sex life issues such as male and female infertility, low testosterone or estrogen, hormonal issues, menopause, erectile dysfunction, sexual function and what causes sexual dysfunction. Explore healthy solutions for sexual issues.

SEX LIFE

Men, you know that you don't need to be a Hip-Hop star to find yourself grabbing at your crotch throughout the day. When the Boys get itchy, there is no force on earth that can stop you from scratching them. But unless you are out promoting your multi-platinum selling CD, polite society usually won't sustain overt adjustments to your undercarriage. Instead of merely reacting to the symptom, you need to address the cause.

Chafing may be the most common source of the itch. It can occur just by different areas of skin rubbing together, as during exercise. This friction can antagonize your skin barrier, causing tiny cracks and inflammation on the outer layers of your skin, which in turn generates an itchy rash. Chafing is best treated with a moisturizer and zinc cream to protect your irritated skin and prevent any additional rubbing. Apply a layer of petroleum jelly to soothe and guard severely chafed skin.

Skin areas like your crotch, between your toes, and under your man-boobs that contain a lot of sweaty moisture are ripe for the rash known as intertrigo. This condition is not only itchy, but it stings and usually presages an overgrowth of bacteria and fungus. Over the counter antibacterial cremes should be your first line of treatment, but if the condition persists for up to two weeks afterward, see a doctor.

You should know that women aren't the only ones who can get yeast infections. Men will normally have yeast in very small amounts on the surface of their skin, but in moist places that don't get much light (such as on the sides of your groin and between your genitals) an overgrowth of yeast can occur, leading to an itchy infection. An over the counter anti-fungal cream should clear up the problem in no time.

If that itchy feeling is accompanied by tiny white or yellowish specks near the roots of your pubic hair, you likely are suffering from pubic lice, aka The Crabs. See your doctor immediately for proper diagnosis and confirmation. You will most likely be sent home with a shampoo containing either permethrin or pyrethrins with piperonyl butoxide, which will kill the lice.

On the more extreme edge of the conditions which might cause your crotch to itch are herpes and genital warts. The former is a common sexually transmitted disease, and the latter is a common symptom of the STD human papillomavirus. Herpes causes recurrent burning itches which often can devolve into clusters of blisters which may break and lead to painful sores. Both conditions require intervention by your physician. Herpes has no cure, but your doctor may prescribe meds that can shorten the itchy outbreaks and minimize the chances of you passing it on to your partner. Genital warts can be frozen off using liquid nitrogen.